


I need you right now

by Anonymous



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Natasha Romanov, Alpha Sam Wilson, Alpha Thor (Marvel), Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Civil War (Marvel), Everyone Needs A Hug, Kidnapping, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Wanda, One Night Stands, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnant Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Things do not go well for Stevie, Unplanned Pregnancy, sad Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24217066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: With his long-lost best friend being framed for a terrorist attack, his new best friend becoming an enemy, their team getting canceled and him being a refugee, the last thing Steve wants right now is a baby on the way. What's more, the father of the child doesn't even know about this. Not yet, especially since that idiot lives in a different realm and what they had is just a one-night stand, no attachment.Life is never easy for Steve Rogers.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Thor
Comments: 23
Kudos: 126
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

It started with a slight headache and a nauseous feeling in the morning. 

It wasn’t new, the symptoms had repeated a few times during the past week. Steve groaned as he sat upright on the bed, his stomach lurched uncomfortably. This was ridiculous, he couldn’t get sick. The closest explanation he could think of was that perhaps his body was protesting from all the exhaustion and lack of sleep. They had been chasing dead ends for months now, Bucky didn’t leave any traces and it was getting harder to track him nowadays. And Steve still had to fulfill his responsibility as the Avengers’ leader. Divided between two missions, Steve barely had any time to rest these days. He was grateful that Sam decided to step in and take the lead, allowing him to have some time for himself. 

This morning though, it was worse as Steve felt unusually agitated and weary. He sighed, thinking about calling in sick and going back to sleep when suddenly his phone beeped. It was Sam informing him that they had discovered a lead on Rumlow in Lagos. They had been following him for a while now, even came close to capturing the man. This time, it seemed that Rumlow was targeting a deadly bioweapon. Whatever his plan was, Steve and his teammates were ready to put an end to it.  
So Steve hauled himself out of the bed, suited up, and left for the mission. Maybe he would be able to rest well when they finally caught Rumlow.

Little did he knew his life would forever change after this incident.  
\-----------  
Two weeks had passed since the Lagos incident. The Compound was oddly quiet, and everyone was solemn. They didn’t talk about this, not yet, for Wanda’s sake. The girl looked haunted when they returned from the mission, and Steve knew that guilt was killing her inside. Tony called him yesterday, saying that he would come with a solution, the alpha also advised them not to do anything stupid to alert the press. On top of that, his sickness didn’t go away and it only got worse. Steve felt constantly tired as if he could drop down and take a nap anytime at anywhere. But at a time like this, Steve couldn’t afford to get sick because his team needed him to stay strong, so he brushed everything aside and tried his best to act like he was fine. 

They were talking about Lagos on the news again. This time the King of Wakanda spoke and Steve turned off the TV as he felt a headache started to form. Strangely enough, he could still hear the news elsewhere.

The voice of the announcer led him to Wanda’s room. She curled in on herself, her eyes distant as she listening to all the rambling accusations coming from the TV. Steve sighed, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV off.

“It’s my fault,” Wanda spoke hoarsely, her eyes were still fixed on the black screen.

“That’s not true,” Steve fold his arms and lean on the doorframe. He hated the fact that Wanda was the one who had to take all the brunt of the criticism. Steve wasn’t innocent, on the contrary, he felt as if he was the guiltiest one because he was their leader. He made a mistake and to save his life, eleven people were dead. He should have been the one to take all the hatred and criticism. 

“Turn it back on. They are being very specific,” Wanda said tiredly. 

“I should’ve clocked that bomb vest long before you had to,” Steve said and sat down on the bed next to Wanda, “Rumlow said Bucky, and all of the sudden I was that 16 year- old kid again in Brooklyn. And people died. It’s on me.”

“It’s on both of us,”

There was silence. Steve could smell grief and distress from the young Omega next to him. Steve was in her shoe before. The war was a cruel place where innocent people got slaughtered every day. Steve and his team tried their best to protect and rescue as many people as possible, but sometimes their effort wasn’t enough. A woman's heart-wrenching cries because they couldn’t save her husband. The haunting eyes of a kid who realized he would never see his parents again. The desperate plea for help from faceless figures who suffered from the atrocity of war. Steve could never forget, but with time he learned to live with the guilt and continue his job. They were his driving force on the battlefield to save more, to help more so that those heartbroken scenes would never repeat. 

“This job…” Steve broke the silence, and the Omega turned to look at him. “We tried to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody. But if we can’t find a way to live with that… then the next time… maybe nobody gets saved.” 

Their exchange was cut short when Vision walked through the wall and informed him that Tony had arrived with a guest. He nodded in acknowledgment and stood up as the android exited the room. Whatever lied ahead, he could handle them all.

“Steve, take care of yourself, ok,” Wanda took his hand, and she looked worried, “You should go see the doctor after this, and rest a lot.” 

“I’m OK, it’s nothing. Just lack of sleep and all,” Steve reassured her, a little surprised. How did Wanda know that he wasn’t feeling well recently? He thought he had hidden it well enough, even Natasha didn’t question anything.

“You should consider taking leave after all of this. Overworking is not good for the baby you know,” There was a gleam in her eyes as she spoke those last words.

Steve was about to leave, but her last sentence stopped him in his track. He arched an eyebrow at Wanda who was smiling knowingly. 

“What baby?” 

There was a pause before Wanda realized what was happening. She leaned back and covered her mouth with a hand, a soft “Oh my God, you didn’t know yet” escaped her lips. For a moment Steve felt relieved that his teammates looked livelier than she had been for the last few weeks, but on the other hand he couldn’t help being confused. Wanda was making absolutely no sense at all. What was she talking about? 

“Look, I know this may sound strange, but I can sense many things with my power. And one thing I can sense now is a life forming inside you,”

The whole world seemed to come to a stop when he heard her next sentences.

“You are pregnant, Steve. There’s a baby growing inside you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing an ABO fic *nervous sweating*  
> I might regret this later haha


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finally chapter 2!  
> It's hard to start writing again after such a long break. So I'm glad I was able to produce something haha.  
> Thank you for all the comments/kudos/bookmarks/subscriptions. Hope you will enjoy this chapter~
> 
> Unbetaed. All silly mistakes are mine.

“Please,” Steve gasped as kisses landed on his neck and bare chest. Strong alpha pheromone hit him, making the soldier’s knees go weak and his hole dripping wet.

“You don’t have to ask,” Thor’s husky voice sent chills down his spine as they fell together in bed, their limbs tangled.

Steve thought he heard a _“I love you”_ , barely inaudible. But perhaps it was just an illusion of his foggy, sex-driven Omega brain, because the next morning, he woke up alone again in his King bed, all traces of their passionate night gone.

It was fine, Steve thought. After all, it was just a one night stand, no emotion attached. They should get back to their normal life now.

Two months later, the nausea and headache started.  
  
\---------  
This wasn’t right. Steve thought as he stared at the stick in his hand. It showed positive.

The soldier had thought it was a joke, but upon seeing Wanda's serious face he was speechless. Steve told her to leave for the meeting first, then retreated to the nearest toilet. He felt a bit guilty for not escorting her to the meeting, but right now he needed to confirm this first. There were some pregnancy tests in the drug cabinet. Steve didn’t know who brought them. Probably Pepper. Pepper told him a few months ago that she and Tony had been trying to have kids for a while now, so it should make sense that there were pregnancy tests in the cabinet. The instruction was simple enough, just peed on them and waited, then the magic line would appear and show him the truth. After the longest three minutes in his life, two simple lines showed up on the stick.

Steve started to panic as the thought settled in.

Oh God, a baby. His baby. This couldn’t be right because Steve could no longer bear any child after the experiment. That what people told him years ago, they tried before but didn’t succeed. An omega super soldier, who was supposed to produce children with superb genes, was infertile. But thanks for that they let him fight the war. At least he could be something else rather than their breeding machine and dancing monkey.

Steve took a deep breath. Maybe the test malfunctioned. But the headache and nausea, and Wanda could sense it. Steve knew the witch’s power. There was no way she could be wrong. Steve looked down at his belly. It did protrude a little bit, not the usual smooth and chisel abs like before. And he thought he was having a bloated stomach.

The soldier clutched his head and groaned. He was supposed to be at their meeting and solving the Avengers’ crisis at the moment, and yet here he was, sitting on the toilet floor and freaking out because of a pregnancy test. How brilliant.

Maybe he should tell the father of the child. But how to tell the idiot was the problem, especially when he was in a different realm.

Three months ago, Thor came back briefly to Earth and they had a small reunion. At that time, the whole team was on a mission and Steve was the only one greeting Thor at the compound. They drank and talked a lot. Steve was lonely and Thor was heartbroken after his breakup with Jane. The rest of the night was a blur as they were both drunk on Asgardian mead, but Steve could still recall the warmth of Thor’s hands and the passionate kisses they shared. They didn’t think about the consequences and Steve thought it would be fine not taking any contraception, but the pregnancy test in his hand told him otherwise.

Steve buried his head in his arms. Oh God, what should he do now?  
“Mr. Rogers,” FRIDAY’s robotic voice snapped him from his thoughts. “I’m sorry to startle you, but the team requests your presence at the meeting.”

“Yes, tell them I would be down there right away,” Steve stood up and threw the stick into the trash can. No one needed to find out about this, not yet. Right now, there were bigger issues and Steve would not let his friends down. The soldier sucked in a breath, gathered his composure, and exited the bathroom.

Steve didn’t expect to see someone waiting for him at the foot of the stairs.

“General Ross,” Steve gave him a curt nod. “I believe this part of the compound is off-limit for visitors. And the meeting room is that way.”

“Oh, sorry, I don’t mean to intrude your private zone, Captain,” Ross leered at him. The Alpha towered over Steve, too close for his liking. “Just want to check if you are alright, you are the only one who is absent.”

“Thank you for your concern. I will see you at the meeting,” Steve bypassed Ross and walked to the exit. The last thing he wanted right now was an Alpha trying to intimidate him.

“Choose wisely, Captain,” Ross’ voice stopped Steve in his tracks. “Or I might have to lock up all of you freaks. Trust me, there’s a nice place already waiting for you.”

Steve pretended that he didn’t hear those threats and soldiered on.  
  
\----------------  
Ross gave them a week to decide, either coming to Vienna to sign the Accord or retiring from the hero work forever.

It was like choosing the lesser of two evils. Steve wanted to help people, but signing the Accord meant that they would become puppets for the Government. They would have to surrender their freedom to choose.

Tony thought they should be kept in check. He felt guilty, and Steve understood his friend’s feelings. But he couldn’t bring himself to agree with the billionaire.

He had seen power being misused and abused. Steve remembered the war, being a dancing monkey and got blood on his hands for freedom. He remembered SHIELD, project INSIGHT, the STRIKE team who he regarded as his new teammates and how betrayal ran so deep. The soldier still wondered whether the missions he did were under SHIELD’s order or Hydra’s. And after everything, the one lesson he learned was that it was better to be the one in control. They should be held accountable for their action and take personal responsibility for everything.

Steve looked up. Tony turned his back to the soldier, not meeting his eyes. It settled. The billionaire would go to Vienna tomorrow.

Steve’s gaze wandered across the room, then returned back to the stack of paper sitting in his lap. They were all sitting together in one room, but somehow there was a gap between them. And he knew that they had all made up their minds on the matter. His teammates had chosen their side.

Before he could say something or offer anything to bridge the gap, to save the Avengers from falling apart, his phone beeped.

A text from London. Steve didn’t recall getting out of the room, but before he knew it, he was standing at the bottom of the stair and weeping.

“She’s gone. In her sleep.” That was all it said.  
  


The next morning, Tony, Natasha, and Rhodey went to Vienna, while he and Sam boarded the earliest flight to London.  
They let him be a pallbearer, knowing how important she was to him. Sharon was there, too, to deliver a heartfelt goodbye speech to her aunt. The rest of the day was a blur. Steve couldn’t remember anything else, but he recalled being dragged to the nearby restaurant by a concerned Sam Wilson.

“You need to eat something. You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, Steve,” Sam said as he pushed the soldier into a chair, then ran away to get some food. Steve just sat there mutely, until he felt a presence in front of him.

“Hello, Steve,” He looked up and saw Sharon. The soldier let out a weak “hey” and tried to stand up, but found all strength had left him. The room was spinning and he fell forward, but firm hands held him back.

“What’s wrong?” concern and panic laced her voice. Steve found himself being guided back to the seat, Sharon’s soothing beta scent covered them and made his dizziness subside.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Steve shook his head slightly. “You know what, I’ll order two orange juice anyway. Are you sure you're OK?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Steve cracked a smile and sat upright, trying to convince her that he was alright. Nausea bubbled up his throat, but he tried to hold it back.

Two glasses of orange juice were put in front of them, and a basket of fries. Sharon pushed one into his hand. The glass was cool to the touch, and Steve gingerly took a sip. The water pushed back the unpleasant feeling he had, and Steve started to feel slightly better.

"You looked much better now," Sharon remarked as she saw some color returned to his cheek. "It must be tough for you to be here."

Steve nodded, taking some of the fries. Thank God he finally got some appetite back and not feeling nauseous when smelling food. The two of them just stayed in silence for a while, Steve munching the food and Sharon occasionally taking a sip from her glass.

“So, I heard about the Accord. You're going to retire?"

“Guess so. I might take some time off.” Steve shrugged. And if he didn’t agree, Ross and his allies were going to force him anyway. They had no choice.

“When was the last time there wasn’t any uniform hanging in your closet?” Sharon raised an eyebrow. Perhaps she was like the others, couldn’t imagine that he would stop doing his job.

True. Being Captain America, the uniform and the shield had been a part of Steve for so long. He couldn’t imagine himself giving up the mantle and being a civilian either. But with a baby on the way, maybe this could be the best outcome. The soldier was ready to take on another role. Steve rested a hand on his belly. For now, retirement sounded good. He could finally put the shield aside, start his own family, and settle down. He could have a home like he once wished. He would start a new life, a new chapter, and maybe Thor could be included in their life too. The thought brought a smile to his lips.

But his little fantasy didn't last long. Sam’s urgent voice cut his stream of thought.

“Hey, Cap. You might want to see this.”  
  
On TV, the conference center was in flame, numbers of casualties droned on, panic people escaped from the building.  
And a blurry picture of James Buchanan Barnes, the man he had spent months chasing and tracking, appeared on the screen as the main suspect.


	3. Chapter 3

Three weeks had passed since they got out of that prison. Yet, sometimes Wanda still felt her throat itch and burnt as if the electric collar was still there, ready to zap her at any moment.

“You OK?”

A figure clad in an oversized hoodie and baggy jeans came into her vision. Wanda looked up, and the first thing she saw was Steve’s worried eyes. The witch blinked and nodded her head. 

“You sure?” Steve gingerly sat down next to her. Wanda scooted over a little for him. “You’ve been touching your neck a lot. Is it still hurt?”

The witch realized that she was indeed touching her neck. So she retreated her hand, folded them on her lap, and shook her head.

“No, it’s nothing. You shouldn’t worry too much.”

Steve didn’t buy it. His concerned look didn’t fade away, and now there was a layer of guilt added to it.

“I’m sorry. I should have come sooner.”

“Stop it. Don’t blame yourself. You did what you could. And more importantly, how are you?”

Wanda turned to the side to get a better look at her teammate. She hadn’t talked properly to him since the fight at the airport. All she knew was that Steve had given up his shield and Barnes was left in Wakanda now, under the protection of the King. And they had become wanted criminals now, the price for being the enemies of the Accord.

On the bright side, Steve and his baby still seemed fine. The Omega was a little run-down though, his bang had grown longer and he looked paler than she remembered. Under the hoodie was unmistakably a round bump, although Steve was trying his best to hide it his belly still protruded a little. The Omega also didn’t smell pregnant, which meant he was hiding a scent blocker somewhere under his clothes. Or maybe it was a spray, those things were quite popular recently.

“I’m fine, I guess. I don’t want to throw up when I smell food anymore, so that’s a win,” Steve cracked a smile but Wanda could feel he was sad. Poor him. It must have been difficult to go through the first few months alone. Normally the sickness would subside if the alpha was around, but Steve had been on the run the entire time. In fact, Wanda didn't even know who could be Steve’s mate since he wasn’t dating anyone prior to this.

“Steve, does your mate… Have you contacted him?” Wanda asked, trying to make it sound light. But Steve’s slump shoulders and grim face already told her what the answer was.

“No. And we’re not together… He never marks me.” Steve ducked his head. "It was a one-night stand. He doesn't know that we have this."

Sympathy overwhelmed Wanda. She put a hand around Steve and pulled him into an embrace. The soldier stiffened up at first at the surprised hug, but eventually, he loosened up and melted into the embrace.

"Come on. Let's get some rest. You look terrible, Steve."

Steve let out a dry laugh. Wanda was worried. The absence of a mate during pregnancy could pose a lot of risk to an Omega, even if he was a super soldier. Some could miscarry, others would have trouble delivering, or their pregnancy sickness could last longer. The thought of Steve suffering agonized Wanda. If she hadn’t slipped, if she had been more careful, the Lagos incident would never happen and Steve would be safe in the arms of his mate now, waiting for their first-born. Not running away, being a criminal, and jumping from one dingy motel to another.

“Hey, you are overthinking again.” The witch felt a nudge on her shoulder. Steve was eyeing her again, the same worried expression from earlier came back.

“What, you can read minds now? I thought that's my power.” Wanda cracked a small smile to humor her friend. Steve smiled back, squeezing her hand a little.

“Ok, mother hen. You can leave now, I’m already in bed.”

“I will when you sleep.”

Wanda sat on his bed, red magic glowing in her hands. She had got a better hold of her magic these days. The witch realized her power was not only for destruction, it could also for protecting the ones she loved. Something she could have done for her own brother. Steve had taken her under his wings since she joined the Avengers, he was like family to her and now it was time she looked out for the Omega. She might not be able to replace his mate, but with this power, she could ease his discomfort in some way. 

\--------  
Steve asked Wanda to keep the baby a secret between them so that he could continue his vigilante job a little longer (if Sam knew, he would definitely force Steve to retire for real). Wanda didn’t like the idea at first, but she reluctantly agreed. When the time came, Steve would tell the Alpha himself.

Soon, Steve couldn't run around punching bad guys anymore. Although Wanda had always put a protective spell on Steve every time they went on a mission, in just a few months it would be too dangerous for Steve to continue his job. Thank God all of their missions had gone smoothly so far. And when they were together, Steve wore loose clothes to hide his abdomen, which was getting bigger these days.

But Sam found out about it anyway.

It was supposed to be a quick mission. But then she was distracted and Steve got hurt. Wanda’s heart stopped a beat when Steve fell, a scream escaped her lips as all of their enemies flew away from a strong blast of red magic. They retreated quickly after that, Steve needed medical attention and Wanda couldn’t focus on the fight anymore.

“I’m fine,” Steve reassured them when they had come back to the motel and Wanda was bandaging his wound.”They didn’t hit any vital organs, only my leg was hurt.”

“Shut up, Steve,” Wanda realized her hands were shaking. If the bullet was just a little higher. The witch swallowed thickly and stopped her thought right there.

“Don’t worry, Wanda. He heals fast,” Sam said. The man had removed his wings and now was standing near the bed. Wanda knew he meant well, probably just trying to lighten up the situation. But she just couldn’t help it, with all the fear and distress building up inside her.

“Don’t worry?” Wanda snapped. “He’s having a baby, and he’s wounded. How can I not be worried?”

“She’s kidding, right?” Sam looked amused like he just heard a very funny joke. “How can you be pregnant? You don’t even smell like one,”

“She’s not,” Steve bit his lips, trying to avoid Sam’s gaze. “I’ve been pregnant for a couple of months now. And I use scent blocker spray.”

“Scent blocker spray?” 

“I got some in Wakanda.”

“So, T’Challa knew?”

“No… I bought it on my own. The King doesn’t know.”

Sam froze. His eyes then zeroed in on Steve’s stomach, which was undoubtedly round and protruding, something that he noticed just now. It took quite a long time for the news to sink in because there was dead silence before Sam could speak again. 

“Since when? Before or after Siberian?”

“Before…” Steve sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner…”

“So around four months. What were you thinking? Why didn’t you tell me?” Sam sounded angry. Wanda couldn’t blame him though. If she were in his shoes, she would have the same reaction. Shock, worried, and perhaps a bit hurt when your best friend tried to hide such important news from you. “We could have left you in Wakanda, it would be much safer than this.” 

“But I don’t want to,” Steve looked exhausted. “The King doesn’t owe me anything and he is not obliged to grant asylum to a criminal. And even if I did choose to stay, people would come after me and Wakanda might not be a safe place anymore. So running away is my best option.” 

“Fine, but you could have told me and at least stay behind during our missions!” Sam looked like he had enough of this. The Alpha folded his arms and glared at Steve. It settled. “Starting from tomorrow, you are not allowed to join us anymore. I’ll call T’Challa, talk with him, and you’ll go stay in Wakanda.”

“I’m pregnant, not crippled! Why should I stay behind and let you guys do all the hard work?” Steve cried out, eyes brimming with tears. “Everyone wants me to stop fighting. Ross, Tony, and now you guys too? And how can I sit back and rest when I’m the reason for our condition right now? I led us to this, I asked for your help and now we ended up criminals. I should be responsible, Sam, I should be here.” 

Sam and Wanda were taken aback by the amount of distress emitting from him. Steve hung his head low, trying to hold back his sobs but failed. The stoic and calm demeanor Steve always wore was crumbling down. What left in front of them was a scared, lonely, and guilt-ridden pregnant Omega.

Wanda and Sam shared a look. They didn't know Steve was feeling that way, and they didn’t want their friend to feel that way at all. Wanda was glad that Steve had busted them out of that prison. Clint and the other guy chose to stay because if they behaved and signed the Accord, they could be released soon and reunited with their family. Wanda knew she wouldn’t have that same treatment. And she didn’t want to be anyone’s puppet, both Sam and her, so they’d rather be fugitives. It was their choice.

At last, Sam sighed, sitting down at the end of the bed.  
“Hey,” Sam said softly as if he was afraid to spook his friend. “Look, don’t cry. We didn’t know you felt that way. And you shouldn’t. We made our own choices, we want to be here with you. You didn’t force us, we basically adopted this criminal lifestyle, okay.”

“Yeah, Sam is right. We didn’t like the Accord and we chose to side with you. We don’t blame you for anything, Steve,” Wanda moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. Steve submitted to her embrace, although he was still trembling the Omega smelt less distress than a moment ago. 

“It’s been a long day. Have some rest, Steve,” Wanda patted his shoulder. Sam opened his mouth but Wanda threw him a glare, signaling that today’s conversation was over.

“Yeah, try to sleep more. Things can wait till tomorrow,” Sam said and stood up. He helped Steve lay down, then draped a blanket over his body. Red magic glowed in Wanda’s hands once again. Steve’s sobs subsided, and then there was only light steady breathing noise. The Omega had fallen asleep. That was their cue to retreat, as quietly as possible.

“God, a baby,” Sam breathed out. “What are we going to do now?” 

"We'll find a way," Wanda said. “We always do.”


	4. Chapter 4

They talked about a lot of things the next morning. Sam and Wanda made sure to let Steve know that he shouldn’t blame himself for the situation that they were in. And Steve agreed, albeit still a little reluctantly, to step back from the missions for a while.

However, they still didn’t know what to do with the baby. Steve would need regular health check-ups, and none of them were qualified to be a midwife. The Omega was still adamant about not going back to Wakanda, saying that they couldn’t bother the King with his problems. That worried them because the absence of a mate was taking a toll on Steve’s physical and mental health, the Omega was thinner and pale, there were bags under his eyes due to lack of sleep and he seemed more jittery these days. Wanda did her best to help with her magic, but it just seemed to be less effective lately.

Luckily, help came to them in the form of a former ally. A few days later, Natasha Romanov showed up at the door of their motel room.

“Long time no see,” The spy waved a hand lazily, platinum hair shining under the fluorescent light. “Well, you guys won’t invite me in for a drink?” 

\-------

It turned out Natasha had been following them for a while now. According to the spy, it wasn’t hard to find them because they left little hints for her everywhere, and they got lectured about being careless. “I could even find you guys with my eyes closed. Seriously, that was sloppy, and if you don’t want to get caught, you should do a better job at erasing your existence.”

Sam didn’t know whether she was friend or foe, and that worried him.

Steve, on the other hand, accepted her presence quite easily, claiming that she would be a great help if they want to stay hidden and stay out of prison. Wanda didn’t say much, but Sam could feel that she wanted to trust their former teammates because if she didn’t, Natasha would have been hexed right now. So Natasha would stay with them, and in the meantime, Sam would have to keep a close eye on the spy.

With that, the day was over. The night came so they all retreated to their rooms. Sam got his own which he now shared with Natasha. The room was small, it barely fitted two beds, a nightstand, and a tiny toilet. Tobacco smell lingered in the air even though he had left the window open for more airflow. Paint on the wall chipping off here and there, while the bed sheets looked like they hadn’t been changed in ages. Not exactly a five-star hotel room, but still better than sleeping on the cold floor or in a jungle. Steve and Wanda’s room wasn’t any fancier, but at least both rooms were connected by a door so reaching them would be faster and more discreet. 

His new roommate had already gone somewhere after dumping her belonging here, saying she had some business. The former spy quickly snatched something red from her backpack and left without giving Sam any time to question her. That was highly suspicious, and Sam wished he had followed her. This just proved his point that Natasha cannot be trusted easily. He needed to talk with Steve about this again, the sooner the better.

“Maybe I should warn him right now. Can’t afford to be careless”. Steve often went to bed late, so he could still talk with his friend. The bed creaked loudly when Sam got up. He walked over to the door and knocked on it a few times.

There was no answer. Maybe Steve was in the shower or something. Sam turned the doorknob.

The room was a little cold as someone had left the window open. Steve was already in his bed, his chest rising and falling in a steady motion. Sam sighed. So the omega was already asleep. He padded across the room to close the window, careful not to wake Steve up. Steve was a light sleeper, he would bolt upright with just the slightest noise. Plus, the lack of a mate often made him restless and unable to sleep probably, so Sam didn’t want to disturb what little peaceful slumber Steve was having. Steve seemed to finally have a good sleep, he was snoring lightly, a big red cloth wrapped tightly around himself and his nose was buried in the fabric. 

Sam narrowed his eyes. Why did the red cloth look so familiar? Sam didn’t see it before when he was in Steve’s room, and it looked like Steve had stolen a curtain somewhere to use as his blanket. 

He stepped closer to examine the cloth. For some reason, it looked a lot like a cloak, something that belonged to a certain demigod’s wardrobe. And the way Steve bundled it around himself, how soundly he slept, the lingering Alpha smell. Then it clicked.

Sam had heard stories about Omega surrounding themselves in their Alpha's clothes to feel safer and comfortable when their mates were away. Alpha pheromones left in the fabric would help to calm them and provide some sort of mental support. That was exactly what Steve was doing right now. He was clinging on a piece of his Alpha, which somewhat eased the need for the presence of his mate and let him rest properly for the first time in months.

“Close your mouth, Wilson. They are touching the floor,” A lazy voice came from behind him. Sam whipped his head around to see Natasha near the entrance. The redhead stood up from the plastic chair she was sitting on and stretched, her joints popped and cracked. She must have been here for a while. No wonder Sam couldn’t see her around, she was in Steve’s room the entire time. 

“Don’t look at me like that. Wanda was out to buy some stuff, so she asked me to stay with Steve for a while.”

“Is it Thor’s?” Sam asked, gesturing at the Omega lying on the bed. 

“Which one?” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “The cloak or the bun in the oven?”

"You knew about this, didn't you?" 

"Well, I saw Thor left Steve's room one day and Steve was limping afterward. Then fast forward a few months, he lost his appetite, he was sleepy all the time, and then there was this little muffin top, which I guess none of you guys noticed but me. Also, one pregnancy test in the drug cabin was gone. And most importantly, this," She tapped at her nose. "Kinda connected the dots myself."

“Steve wears scent blocker. How did you even know?” 

“He didn’t, at least not back then. You haven’t met or got close enough to a pregnant Omega, have you?” 

“What, you want me to sniff Steve to find out if he was pregnant?” Sam rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. Of course, he knew what a pregnant Omega smelt like. And they were close friends, Sam was with Steve most of the time but he always respected the Omega’s personal space. 

“Who said you have to sniff? You just need to come close enough, like an embrace between two friends. That’s when I knew he was pregnant because he smelt like one.” Natasha gave him a half-smile. “So, did my answers satisfy your curiosity?” 

This was why Sam thought Natasha was the scariest Avengers member. Sure, others might have impressive ammo and brute strength, but she knew how to get information and used it to her advantage. Nothing can be hidden from her. And that was why he was concerned, what brought her here, what was her real motive, and why did she switch sides. And most importantly, what did she do to gain Steve's trust so easily? Sam just couldn’t trust Natasha, not so quickly as Steve did.

"If you ever think about betraying him, or taking advantage of him in his weak moment, I’ll deal with you," Sam growled, staring down at the spy. Natasha threw him an equally heated glare, refusing to back down from Sam’s warning. 

The two Alphas were engaging in an intense staring battle when suddenly Steve stirred in his sleep and let out some incoherent noise. That stopped both of them immediately. The soldier buried himself further in the cloak, curling in a fetal position. The pheromones both of them exuded must have made Steve uncomfortable. Feeling a little guilty, Sam headed to the door and beckoned to Natasha. 

"Look," Natasha started, her voice almost a whisper now, "I'm just like you guys ok, I want to protect my best friend."

“Remind me what side you were on?” Sam snorted. “Now you found us, should I be worried that Ross will knock on our door the next morning?”

“Well, I did choose my side when I let Rogers and Barnes go. Now they’re hunting me too, so I guess we’re on the same boat,” Natasha said. Sam didn’t say anything, so the spy pressed on. “The baby is coming soon, right. You guys will need my help.”

“How are you planning to do that exactly?” Sam folded his arms across his chest. 

“I’m a spy, remember. I know how to lay low, how to go off the grid. I know people who can help us. I can help Steve when the time comes,” She was standing in his space now, her eyes staring into his own, and Sam could see that she was not going to yield. “Let me help.”

Finally, he cracked.

“Fine. You can stay. But I’ll be watching you.” 

\--------

And just that, Natasha waltzed back into their life. Sam still couldn’t let his guard down fully around her, not yet, but Steve and Wanda were quick to welcome their old teammate. He guessed Wanda also received some sort of “bribery” from Natasha, probably something special from a certain android. 

Sam was still wary about Natasha, and he hated to admit it but she was truly a savior. Along with Thor’s cloak, she also brought some vitamins and supplements for the Omega. A health checkup was also scheduled for next week. She also got them checked in a better motel with decent accommodation, and for once Sam was thankful that his bed didn’t protest loudly or threaten to break whenever he turned in his sleep. 

“You can stay, but in the meantime, you won’t join in missions with us,” Sam announced a few days after Natasha came. “You’ll stay back with Steve.”

“You’re in charge now?” 

“Our Captain is taking his maternity leave, so of course I’m in charge now.” 

“Catherine of Aragon rode to battle while pregnant. I don’t see why Stevie here can’t do the same.” 

“Exactly. That’s what I’ve been telling them!” Steve chimed in. The expectant Omega looked healthier today, his cheeks were fuller and he was less pale, probably from getting more rest recently. The bump was more visible now as it showed even when Steve wore baggy clothes to hide it. Sam groaned mentally, what made the stubborn Omega think that he could still go on a mission in his condition? 

“Don’t encourage him,” Sam threw Natasha a glare, then turning to his Omega friend. “You are in no condition to fight. Leave the physical stuff for us.”

Steve pouted but chose to say nothing. Sam knew Steve hated the idea of being a burden to his teammates, even though they had tried to make it clear that it was OK for Steve to take a break from vigilante work and focus on his baby. 

“Well, much as I missed punching bad guys with you, Falcon here had a good point. You are having a tiny human inside you, and it would not be safe to do missions,” Natasha spoke, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Hey, you can be our tactician. You can still be useful without engaging in the fight, right?”

“It’s not like we’re gonna lock you up and treat you like something breakable, Steve,” Wanda spoke. “You are a part of the team, and you’ll always be. As teammates, we look out for each other. You did your part as our leader, so now let us do the same for you. You can rely on us, Steve.”

Sam heard a sniffle and a quiet OK. Steve must have been touched by his friend’s little speech, and Wanda was quick to pull him into a hug. They had done that quite often lately, comforting and reassuring the Captain. But Sam didn’t mind at all. They were here to remind Steve that his friends would be with him till the end of the line, that Steve was not alone and would never be alone again. It was important that Steve could understand their intention, no matter how many times they had to remind him. 

Things were going to get better. Sam hoped. They would get through this together.


End file.
